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Roanoke Valley Rebels (ECHL, 1991-92)

1991-92 Regular Season:
Rebels vs. Greensboro Monarchs
     1991-92 was the second season of the ECHL's Roanoke Valley Rebels. The franchise orginally started in 1988 as the Virginia Lancers, one of the charter members of the East Coast Hockey League. The Rebels home was not in Roanoke, Virginia, but Vinton, Virginia, a suburb of Roanoke with a population of 8,059. The Rebels played their home games at the LancerLot Sports Complex, a 3,259-seat arena.
     The team got it's name and uniforms from an EHL/SHL franchise that existed from 1970-76, and featured a "no way would this happen in 2023" leaf logo with a Confederate Battle Flag. 
     Roy Sommer was the new head coach of the Rebels, replacing Claude Noel, who was hired by the Dayton Bombers. The 1990-91 Rebels had the second-worst record in the ECHL, going 26-31-7. The 1991-92 season was even worse, as Roanoke Valley finished 21-36-4-3. Their 49 points, however, earned them the final playoff spot in the East Division, as they finished just one point ahead of the Knoxville Cherokees. Attendance climbed to 2,054 per game at LancerLot Sports Complex, still the lowest in the ECHL.
     Roanoke Valley scored the second-fewest goals in the ECHL this season, managing just 236 goals, just eight ahead of league-worst Raleigh Icecaps. The Rebels did feature a 50-goal scorer, as former Bruins draft pick Mark Woolf scored and even 50 goals to go along with 101 points. Brett Stewart (33) and Peter Kasowski (26) were the only other 20+-goal scorers in the lineup. Future Brantford Smoke winger Wayne Muir scored 12 goals and 31 points in 46 games. 
     The Rebels allowed the fourth-most goals in the ECHL in 1991-92, getting scored on 313 times. The team went through five different goaltenders that season. Mike James led the way in net, playing in 45 games and sporting a 15-23-4 record and 3.97 GAA, along with 4 shutouts. Mike Mudd played the next-most games, making it into 13 with a 3-6-1 record and an ugly 5.61 GAA. Dan Bouchard (not the former NHLer) was in net 11 times, with a 0-3-1 record and even worse 6.26 GAA. The other two net minders were Doug Brown and Ray Letourneau. 
     Roanoke Valley did know how to rack up the penalty minutes, as the Rebels spent 2053 minutes in the penalty box. Leading the way was defenseman Mike Barlage. In his only professional season, the rookie piled up 249 minutes in 51 games, to go along with 34 in 7 playoff contests. He was joined in the "200-PIM Club" by Graham Garden, with 202 minutes in only 42 games. Wayne Muir was next with 168 minutes in 46 games played. 
     As stated earlier, the Rebels qualified for the Riley Cup Playoffs, facing the first place Greensboro Monarchs. Greensboro's record that year was 43-17-2-2, 41 points ahead of the Rebels and owned a 7-1 record in the season series. Despite this, the series went down to the wire, as the Monarchs need the full seven games to dispatch Roanoke Valley, despite outscoring the Rebels 28-18. The Hampton Roads Admirals would go on to win the Riley Cup championship, downing the Louisville Icehawks in four straight. 
     This program is from a game between the Rebels and Greensboro Monarchs. No date is given, so no idea what the result was (likely a Greensboro win). This is a 56-page program, all in black and white. The usual program stuff is inside, including articles about the history of the league and the sport, and bios of the coaching staff and front office. The league directory is on page five. There's also a full-page Doonsbury comic on page 22. Again, take a look at that logo on the cover. That would definitely not fly in today's world.
     Local advertisements include Dooley Printing Corporation, Vinton Dry Cleaners, Aztec Rental, Macado's Restaurant and Delicatessen, and Roanoke Fruit and Produce Company. The Rebels Spirit Team is featured on page 27, and the LancerLot Fitness Club Aerobic Instructor Team is on page 30, with a hand-drawn schedule.


Aftermath: The Roanoke Valley Rebels would be rebranded as "Roanoke Valley Rampage" for the 1993-94 season, their last season in Vinton. The franchise would bounce around for the next 12 years, playing in Huntsville, Alabama, Tallahassee, Florida and Macon, Georgia, before settling in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the second version of the Utah Grizzlies in 2005. The franchise remains in Salt Lake City to this day.

Reference:
East Coast Hockey League Regular Season Statistics: 1991-92, from hockeydb.com

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